


and we rule the kingdom inside my room

by GayaIsANerd



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Biology student!Isak, Even is smitten, Fluff, Getting Together, Isak is the hero of spiders all around the world, M/M, Mentions of Mental Illness, Mentions of Spiders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 22:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13257786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayaIsANerd/pseuds/GayaIsANerd
Summary: Adventures in arachnophobic roommates and crushesorIsak just wants to save spiders from being killed, and Even ends up having to save him... multiple times





	and we rule the kingdom inside my room

**Author's Note:**

  * For [diminuendodaydream](https://archiveofourown.org/users/diminuendodaydream/gifts).



> Hello! <3  
> This one is for the one and only Nicole! She's one of the best people in the world and I'm so damn honoured I got to write this secret santa for her! It's kinda silly and super fluffy and 100% based on Nicole's real life adventure!  
> I hope you like it, babe! I love you so so much!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos feed the cats!

Isak steps out of the shower, drops of water clinging to his skin, wet curls plastered to his forehead. He grabs the towel from the rack and starts drying his hair when he hears a loud yelp coming from the kitchen area.

Hurrying, he ties the towel around his waist before making his way into the kitchen.

Eva is standing on a kitchen stair, yelling at Vilde, “Kill it! Hit it with your shoe! Kill it!”

“You do it!” Vilde yells back, screaming and jumping on the chair next to Eva when the spider on the floor inches closer to her.

The two girls cling to each other, eyes wide.

“What the hell is going on?” Isak asks, one hand holding up his towel.

“Isak! Please kill the spider,” Eva pleads.

Isak rolls his eyes at her, “I’m not killing the spider, Eva, they are a very important part of our ecosystem.”

“Fine, but can it be an important part of our ecosystem outside?” Vilde says, voice pitched even higher than before.

“Give me that glass and that piece of paper,” Isak says, exasperation colouring his voice. He’ll never get arachnophobia, but he loves his friends too much to let them suffer.

Eva hands him what he asked for, and Isak bends down, catching the spider under the glass.

“Okay, you can put it outside now,” he says reaching out to hand Vilde the caught spider.

“What? No!” Vilde jumps backwards, off the chair, back against the fridge.

“You do it,” Eva says, when Isak motions to give her the spider.

“I’m not dressed!” Isak says, frustrated.

“Please, Isak, please,” Eva begs, eyes wide, “You owe me!”

Isak knows it’s a low blow, and judging by the blush, high on Eva’s cheekbones, she knows it too, but both of them also know Isak is unable to say no when Eva brings this up.

He sighs, defeated, as he turns around towards the door. You would think there’s a limitation period to emotional manipulation after five years and after Eva and Jonas started dating again. 

In hindsight, Isak should’ve just opened the window and put the spider on the ledge, but for some reason, he doesn’t. He walks one floor down, only in his towel and flip flops.

The front door is heavy, and Isak fumbles for a moment, trying to hold on to the spider and his towel. He steps out, holding the door open with his foot, bending over to release the spider into the wild, when disaster strikes.

The towel starts slipping, and Isak reacts in instinct, his hand flying to his side, and standing up to pull the towel back up. 

The click of the door behind him sounds like a gunshot and Isak whirls around, stupidly hoping he heard wrong.

He curses, loud, when he sees the door fell shut and locked. 

Isak reaches forward and presses the bell to his flat, before realising the bell doesn’t work anymore after Magnus tried to reprogram the sound of it.

He groans, looking around, like suddenly his phone or his key will magically appear to save him. 

A catcall behind him makes him turn around, and glare at the fucktard walking across the street. The boy just winks at him before entering his own apartment blok and Isak fumes in rage.

He bangs the door, desperately hoping someone,  _ anyone _ , will hear him and come open the door. 

When seconds later the first door to the right opens, Isak breathes a sigh of relief. He’s not sure who lives there, probably a rich kid, a weirdo, or a combination of the two, considering the flats on the first floor are all single student studios. Very unlike the six person flat he’s sharing with his friends, where the only privacy Isak has, is his small bedroom. 

The boy that comes into view, however, doesn’t look like a weirdo. In fact, he’s the prettiest boy Isak has ever laid eyes on.

Isak feels a blush spreading over his chest when the boy opens the door, raises an eyebrow, “Bet gone wrong?” he asks, voice impossibly low and Isak thinks he might need another shower after this.

“No,” Isak says, raising the glass and piece of paper still in his hand, “trying to save a spider.”

“Trying to… save a spider?” the boy repeats, making Isak blush even harder, “Don’t people normally just kill the spider, not walk down one story to release it outside?”

“I’m studying biology,” Isak says, like that explains anything.

It does to the boy, however, his mouth forming a silent “oh”, as he nods understandingly. 

“Anyway…,” Isak says, edging towards the stairs, “thanks for letting me in.”

The boy smiles widely, “You’re welcome,” he says, holding out his hand, “I’m Even, by the way.”

Isak reaches for his hand, releasing his death grip on his towel and it betrays him immediately by slipping down slightly.

He curses, hand flying back to his towel, “Shit, sorry,” he says. 

When he looks back up, Even’s pupils have grown, a dark look in his eyes. Isak swallows thickly, “I’m Isak,” he says.

Even’s eyes clear again as he smiles, “Nice to meet you, Isak.” 

Isak thinks how nice his name sounds in Even’s mouth.

“I’ll see you later, then,” Isak says, ducking his head when Even’s smile turns even wider, making the younger boy feel like he’s looking at the sun.

He starts making his way back up the stairs when he suddenly realises something, and turns back around to Even. 

Even, who blushes when Isak catches him staring at his ass.

“How did you know I only needed to walk down one floor?” Isak asks.

Even cocks his head, eyes sincere as he answers, “I saw you on moving day.”

Before Isak can even think about what to answer to that, a phone rings, somewhere inside Even’s apartment, and he smiles apologetically, “See you later, Isak.”

Isak stares as Even walks backwards, winking before entering his apartment and closing the door behind him.

“Fuck,” he breathes, turning around and walking back up to Eva and Vilde’s giggling questions to where he could’ve been this long in only a towel.

*

You’d think things like this can only happen once, but apparently Isak is living in some kind of parallel universe that actively works against him. 

So, two weeks later, Isak wakes up from a nap to Magnus shrieking. He pads into the kitchen, his boxers slung low on his hips, trying to wipe the sleep out of his eyes. 

“What the fuck, Magnus? I was trying to sleep,” he grumbles, and Magnus at least has the decency to look apologetic, knowing how much trouble Isak has sleeping lately. 

“Keep it down, okay,” Isak commands, and begins to turn back around, just as Magnus throws his slipper at something in the corner of the room. 

Isak startles, leaping away from the projectile and angrily stares at Magnus.

“You gotta help me!” Magnus half-shouts and Isak wrinkles his nose in annoyance, “You released the spider last time, do it again!” Magnus points at the corner of the room, and Isak sighs when he sees the little spider huddled close to the wall there, Magnus’ slipper lying uselessly beside it.

“I’ve seen rice bigger than this,” Isak rolls his eyes, “Am I the only non-arachnophobe in this flat?”

Magnus just hands him a cup and a piece of paper and Isak realizes his best bet to go back to sleep, will be catching the spider. 

He could just kill it and be done with it, but seriously, spiders don’t deserve all the crap they get. 

He catches the spider easily and staggers down the stairs, sleep-drunk and yawning loudly. 

As he pulls open the front door, he shivers, the cold wind blowing into his face. 

“I get why you choose to come to our kitchen, it’s really cold out here,” he tells the spider, raising the glass to eye-level, “I would allow you to stay, but my roommates are all idiots.” He shrugs apologetically and bends down to set the spider on the ground. 

His limbs are still sleep muddled, though, and the door is heavy. Before he knows it, he feels the door slipping shut, but the slamming of the door never comes. He turns around, wondering what could’ve stopped the door from falling shut completely, and looks into the eyes of Even. 

Even has a smile on his face, his head tilted to the right. 

“Shit, thanks,” Isak says, self consciously folding his arms over his chest as Even opens the door further to let him back in. 

“No problem, I’m happy to be of service,” Even grins, and Isak blushes when Even eyes him appreciatively. “Another spider?”

Isak rolls his eyes, “My roommates are all idiots.”

Even laughs, and Isak stares at him. He’s truly beautiful and Isak wants to lick him.

But that might just be his sleep deprived brain speaking. 

“At least I’m wearing more clothes this time,” Isak says, smiling. 

“I don’t mind you wearing less clothes,” Even answers him and immediately blushes, like he didn’t intend to say that out loud. 

Isak is startled into a laugh and he unconsciously licks his lips. Even’s eyes follow the movement, and Isak ducks his head down under Even’s intense stare. 

“Would you -“ Even starts, but is interrupted by another voice. 

“Isak? Did you get locked outside again?” Magnus appears on the steps, and Isak has to fight hard to suppress his groan. “Oh,” Magnus says, looking from Isak to Even and back. 

“Guess I’ll see you later,” Even says, stepping back from Isak, something unreadable in his eyes. 

“I… yeah, I guess,” Isak says, watching Even close the door behind him before following Magnus up on the stairs. “I hate you,” he tells Magnus before retreating back into his room, and the other boy sputters. 

*

The next time it happens, Isak has no one to blame but himself.

It’s five in the morning and Isak had startled awake, the stress of his upcoming biology test messing with his sleeping pattern, allowing him a measle four hours of sleep a night at best.

He’s restlessly trying to find a comfortable way to lie, clawing at the edges of sleep.

After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, he gives up, flops onto his back and angrily stares at his ceiling, as if it’s to blame for his sleeplessness. 

Figuring he’s not getting anymore sleep tonight, he flicks on his bedside light, thinking he can re-read some of his notes for the test.

When he reaches for his notes, however, he sees the little sow bug in the corner of the room. His mind automatically lists all the ways in which the little crustacean is useful for nature and for farmlands in particular. He still wrinkles his nose when he looks at it, however. The little critters might be useful, Isak still has a slight distaste for them.

He considers leaving it be, but the thought that it might crawl into his bed is, however irrational, too disgusting. 

He wasn’t sleeping anyway, he figures, as he rises from the bed, pulling a sweatshirt over his head, but not bothering to put on any pants over his boxers. The odds of running into someone at this hour are slim, and if a small part of him remembers Even’s words of preferring him in less clothes, no one needs to know.

Like with the spiders, he scoops the sow bug up in a glass, and makes his way downstairs, making sure to shove his keys in the pocket of his sweatshirt. Getting stuck outside during the day is awful, getting stuck outside at night, would be a disaster.

Since he has his keys with him, Isak figures he can let the door fall shut behind him and drop the sow bug into the underbrush, where it can feast on whatever it finds.

“There you go, little buddy,” Isak mumbles as he tips the glass over, turning to make his way back to the door.

He grabs his keys out of his pocket, and that’s when realisation strikes. Mahdi had borrowed his key to the front door yesterday after losing his own, he was going to get a new one made, but he still wasn’t home from his girlfriend, probably stayed the night there.

So, Isak was stuck outside, again.

He thumps his head against the glass door, hard, cursing. He’s near to tears, exhaustion holding him in it’s clutches, his bare feet freezing against the cold cement.

Isak raises his head, considers his options. He could walk to Elias’ and Sana’s flat, beg them to let him stay on their couch and endure their relentless teasing probably for the rest of his life. He could try to shout up at Jonas’ and Eva’s window, and risk the wrath of every other tenant of the building. He sighs, thumping his head against the door once more, furiously wiping his fists under his eyes, as he tries to stave off the tears.

“Isak?” the voice makes him whirl around and he almost sobs when he sees Even, dressed in a loose fitting sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a soft looking scarf and a jean jacket. He looks ethereal in the soft light of the streetlamps.

“Are you okay? What are you doing here?” Even asks, walking forward and taking Isak’s face in his broad hands, as if trying to warm his face. Isak sighs when the warmth of his palms hits Isak’s cheeks.

“I got locked out… again,” he confesses and Even’s eyes widen.

“Do your roommates wake you up at five in the morning to let out a spider?” Even asks, and Isak can’t help but be pleased when Even angrily stares up, as if he’s about to give Isak’s roommates a stern talking to.

“No, I couldn’t sleep,” Isak says, and Even turns back to him, worry clear in his eyes, “Also, it was a sow bug.”

Even wrinkles his nose, “I hate those.”

Isak chuckles, “Me too.”

“Still you saved it,” Isak nods and Even smiles, “You’re too good for this world.”

Isak blushes, shrugs, his face still cradled in Even’s hands.

Even looks at him for a second before seemingly realising he’s still holding onto Isak’s face. He drops his hands and Isak immediately mourns the warmth.

“Shit, let’s get you inside,” Even says, when Isak shivers. He opens the door and ushers Isak in. 

Isak is happy to be inside, but at the same time, he knows this is where they’ll say goodbye and he’ll go back upstairs, staring at his ceiling.

“You want to come in?” Even asks instead, “I make a mean hot chocolate.” He smiles softly when Isak nods, following him into his room.

There’s a narrow hallway, one door that Isak assumes leads into the bathroom and then one room, containing a kitchen unit, a bed and a desk, all crammed up closely together. The walls are covered in drawings. 

“Did you make these?” Isak asks, back to Even as he busies himself at the counter, opening and closing cupboards.

“Yeah, do you like them?” 

“Yes, they’re really funny,” Isak taps one of the little comics and chuckles softly.

Isak turns around when he hears Even holler triumphantly.

“You know what’s even better than hot chocolate to feel sleepy again?” Even asks, waving the joint in his hand back and forth.

Isak laughs and nods to the question in Even’s raised eyebrows.

They settle on the bed, backs resting against the wall, legs splayed in front of them, shoulders touching.

“Why are you awake?” Even asks, after lightening the blunt and handing it over to Isak.

“I’ve always had trouble sleeping alone, especially when I’m stressed,” Isak explains.

“Magnus not home?” Even asks. Isak wrinkles his forehead in confusion, “Do you not sleep together?” Even asks, seemingly as confused as Isak.

“No? Why would we?”

“I just thought -” Even says and Isak laughs when he realises what Even was thinking.

“Oh god, no! Ew, no! Never!” Isak says, his face scrunching dramatically. 

Even laughs too, seemingly helpless in the face of Isak’s booming laugh.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were…” Even trails off, smiling awkwardly.

“With Magnus? No! Gay? Yes!” Isak says, still laughing softly. He doesn’t miss the way Even looks at him when he admits he’s gay, however. The look sending shivers over his spine.

“So, no one else to help you fall asleep?” Even asks, taking another hit.

Isak shakes his head, lets his fingers brush over Even’s when he takes the joint again. They share a soft smile, an acknowledgement for what is not being said out loud, their mutual interest.

“Why were you awake?” Isak asks him, after a beat of easy silence.

Even sighs, seemingly debating with himself what to tell Isak.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Isak says, and that seems to settle Even.

“I guess I needed some air, a walk to clear my mind,” Even says, and Isak nods, “Plus my sleeping pattern is kind of fucked up, my meds fucked with it for so long and now it’s hard to get back to sleeping at a regular time.” Even refuses to meet Isak’s eyes, his shoulders raised as if ready to defend himself.

Isak hums, willing to set Even at ease, “My mamma had the same problem.”

“Your mamma?” Even asks, turning his head slightly.

“She has schizophrenia,” Isak explains. Saying it out loud still gives him a slight twinge in his chest, like poking an old scar, the memory of pain vivid, even after the pain has faded. It’s getting easier, however, it doesn’t burn like it used to.

“I’m bipolar,” Even offers.

“Okay,” Isak says, and he means it. The knowledge doesn’t change the fact that he still wants to rip Even’s clothes off, doesn’t change the fact that he’s been thinking of just falling asleep, pressed against him, for the last ten minutes. It doesn’t silence the butterflies or the hunger. So, he bumps Even’s shoulder and says it again, “Okay.”

When he makes eye contact with Even, he sees that the other boy understands. Even’s shoulders lose their tension, and he leans more heavily into Isak, letting his head drop slightly onto Isak’s shoulder, making Isak hold his breath for a moment before shakingly releasing it. 

Even is beautiful, long limbs, loose from the weed. Slender fingers fisted around the cup they’re using as an ashtray. Soft hair tickling Isak’s cheek. 

They switch to lighter topics, sharing the blunt until it’s finished and Isak suddenly finds himself flat on his back next to Even, the blanket tucked under his chin, the other boy’s breath hitting the side of his face.

“Can I stay here?” Isak asks, slowly blinking his eyes, unable to keep them open. The weed did its job, he’s pliant and soft from it, torn between the sleep tugging at his body and wanting to stay awake and talk to Even.

Even chuckles softly, “Of course you can.” He wraps an arm over Isak’s waist and they link hands, “Okay?” Even asks and Isak nods, breathes out softly as he feels himself fall asleep, more relaxed than he’s been in years.

*

After that, things change, but they also don’t. They exchange phone numbers and send each other countless messages, ranging from stupid memes to discussion about life and parallel universes. Isak gets to know Even, bit by bit, and finds himself getting more and more infatuated with the boy with every message he receives.

Still, they don’t meet up. They grin when passing each other in the hallway, smile when they see glimpses of each other on campus, raises their drinks when they cross each other at the bar, but they don’t meet up.

Jonas sighs as he drops down at the kitchen chair, opposite of Isak, “You’re smiling at your phone again,” he says and Isak looks up as if caught doing something he’s not allowed to do. “Even,” Jonas says, rather than asks. Isak nods, “Why don’t you meet up with him? Take him on a date?”

Isak shrugs, “I don’t know if that’s what he wants.”

“You’re really dumb for someone this smart, you know that?” Jonas says and when Isak makes an affronted sound, he continues, “No, really. He texts you all day, he let you sleep in his bed, he shared his weed with you, and still you think he might not like you?”

“What if I mess it up?”

“What if you don’t?” Jonas says, before standing up and disappearing into his and Eva’s room.

Isak slowly blinks. Jonas has a habit of doing that, dropping some wisdom on him and then walking away, Isak thinks he enjoys looking all wise and mysterious. 

He’s right, though… What if he doesn’t mess it up?

Isak doesn’t have time to really think about it, however, he needs to finish his essay and write a lab report before Sana kills him. 

Two hours later, his essay is mostly finished and Sana told him his lab report was “ok”, which, for her, was a major compliment. Isak rubs his eyes and stretches his back before grabbing his phone and turning the sound on again.

He has seven new messages, all from Even.

**Even 20:14** ****  
This is so awkward, but I need your help   
**Even 20:19** ****  
ISAK   
**Even 20:26** ****  
If they find my corpse tomorrow, this message officially pins the blame on you   
**Even 20:32** ****  
I’m gonna die and haunt your ass   
**Even 20:34** ****  
Not that that is a bad thing, you have a very sexy ass   
**Even 20:36** ****  
Sorry, that was very forward   
**Even 20:41** **  
** Please still come save me

The last message was sent a couple of minutes ago and although the tone of his texts is light, Isak still rushes to put his shoes on, grabbing his keys and hurrying down the stairs to Even’s flat.

He’s about to knock on Even’s door, when he hears a knock behind him, coming from the front door. His mouth falls open when he sees Even, wearing only low riding sweatpants, a glass and a piece of paper in his hands, grinning sheepishly on the other side of the door.

“What are you doing out there?” Isak asks, when he pulls open the door and ushers Even in.

“I saved a spider… but, the door fell shut behind me. It’s karma for making fun of you, I guess,” Even grins before he shivers violently.

Isak takes of his own sweater and starts pulling it over Even’s head.

“I have clothes over there,” Even sputters, pointing at his door.

“This is warmer,” Isak says, and tries to ignore the way his heart thumps when he sees Even is his sweater. He fails miserably and just stares at Even for a beat, liking what he’s seeing. “Wait, you were saving a spider?” he realises all of a sudden and his heart jumps again when a blush appears on Even’s cheekbones.

“I was going to kill it, but you always say they are an important part of our ecosystem and -” 

Isak cuts him off, leaping forward and pressing his lips against Even’s. The kiss is uncoordinated, teeth and noses crashing, a surprised sound leaving Even’s mouth, but before Isak can rethink it, Even’s hands have cupped Isak’s cheeks. 

Even angles Isak’s head slightly, before his thumbs press softly, questioningly on his cheeks, a silent request for Isak to open his mouth. A request Isak immediately grants, opening his mouth, moaning slightly when Even’s tongue strokes over his.

Isak’s hands find a place under Even’s  _ -his-  _ sweater and Even sighs into the kiss.

After a while they come up for air and Isak’s fingers brush over the blush on Even’s cheeks. 

“I wanted to do this for months,” Even confesses, pecking Isak softly on the mouth, “If I’d known that all it took was to save a spider and get stuck outside for half an hour, I would’ve done that way sooner.”

Isak huffs a laugh, burying his face in Even’s neck.

“Want to come in?” Even asks him and Isak easily agrees, following Even into his room, settling on the bed like before. Unlike before, however, they immediately crawl under the sheets, facing each other, hands softly linked between them.

“I’m so cold,” Even shivers and Isak shuffles closer to him to throw a leg over Even’s hip, an arm over his ribs.

“Okay?”

Even nods, kisses Isak again.

“So…,” Even starts, making Isak raise his eyebrows in question, “You have a spider kink, hu?”

Isak snorts a laugh, and pushes Even away. Even laughs as well, but doesn’t hesitate in pulling Isak back to him, settling even closer to him than before. 

“That’s okay, baby, I’ll save all the spiders for you,” Even says, his face buried in Isak’s curls and Isak feels warmth flooding his body at the nickname.

“Good,” Isak answers, his face pressed up against Even’s chest and Even’s arms tighten around him.

“I’ll even catch the sow bugs, so you don’t have to,” Even says.

Isak pulls back slightly, so he can look at Even, and the sincere look in his eyes, the things he isn’t saying, the question there. “I’ll hold open the door, so you won’t get locked outside again,” Isak says and Even smiles before they lock lips again.

They spend the evening like that, talking softly, sharing kisses. Later, right before Isak falls asleep, his head pillowed on Even’s chest, Isak will send a silent thank you up to his arachnophobe roommates, the heavy door and spiders all over the world. Without them, he might not be lying here in the blissful warmth of Even, surrounded by his smell, lulled to sleep by the soft rumble of his voice. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Find me on Tumblr](http://greathalesonfire.tumblr.com/)   
> 


End file.
